Plant based therapeutics have been known and used since ancient times, and still provide between 30-40% of our new drug candidates each year. The complexity of the components contained within plants are not fully understood and it is appreciated that an in-depth biochemical analysis of the components of plants as they are found e.g. in leaves, stems, and the like, may continue to reveal valuable therapeutic compounds for the treatment of various illnesses as diverse as microbial infections or migraines.
Recently, there has been considerable interest in searching the phytochemical properties of many long ago discovered plants to determine their potential pharmaceutical benefits, most particularly, on secondary metabolites. In addition to the primary metabolism necessary for life, plants have a secondary metabolism that generates compounds, which aid in their growth and development. A common role of secondary metabolites is defense mechanisms to fight off animals, pest and pathogens. These compounds have become the focus of much pharmacological interest.
One such family of interest for natural therapeutics is the family Asteraceae (or Compositae). This family has a remarkable ecological and economical importance and is present from the polar regions to the tropics, colonizing all available habitats, though it is most commonly found in arid areas. Asteraceae has been regarded as a promising family of plants because of the amount and variety of active compounds produced by the secondary metabolism. Some commonly known uses of the Asteraceae family is in herbal products such as teas (Chamomile, Echinacea) or potpourri (Marigold). However, there is evidence that Asteranceae contains secondary metabolites that can be beneficial in the treatment of many diseases.
Cancer is a general term frequently used to indicate any of the various types of malignant neoplasms (i.e. abnormal tissue that grows by cellular proliferation more rapidly than normal), most of which invade surrounding tissue, may metastasize to several sites, are likely to recur after attempted removal, and cause death unless adequately treated. Although a variety of approaches to cancer therapy, including surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, have been available and commonly used for many years, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in the world.
Cancer implicates several important signal pathways in the affected cells. The balance between proliferation and programmed cell death is disturbed in a patient having cancer, and certain genetic disturbances of apoptotic signaling pathways have been found in carcinomas, leading to tumor development and progression. Much work in cancer research targets the signal pathways as means of stopping cancer progression and treating the patient.
Many compounds naturally occurring in plants have been shown to elicit some improvements to cancer treatment, side effects of cancer treatments, and/or the progression of cancer itself. However, there exists a need to find and develop more plant-based compounds for cancer treatment and to understand how they affect the signal pathways so that the compounds can be combined for a more effective treatment plan.